Critical

As I mentioned in a footnote to a previous post; It's time for President Obama to start opposing the things he formerly proposed. So that he can get the I'm Against Whatever Obama's For congresscreatures to pass the legislation he actually supports.

Now's The Time:

Obama to address Congress as health care debate grows

Time for the President to toss the "Public Option" overboard. How about proposing Privatizing Medicare? Sounds Good To Me. Get rid of that evil Socialized Medicine. Your Taxes (Your Hard-Earned Dollars) Will Go Down! Yes!
What you pay for health care will, of course, go up. Waay Up. But at least the money won't pass through the hands of those Government Bureaucrats. It'll pass into the hands of those Insurance Company Bureaucrats. Where a large part of it will stay.
It's the Capitalist Way. Let the deserving company presidents and CEOs have as much money as they can arrange to wring out of their customers.
Slightly (only slightly) more seriously: it might be a really good idea for people to step all the way back to an examination of First Principles of Society. What's appropriate in the Public Sector, and what's appropriate in the Private Sector?

Examples:
1. Public Police Department protection from criminals?
2. Public Fire Department protection from fires?
3. Public Health Department protection from disease?

Does that third department seem appropriate? Actually, there's already such a thing; tasked with seeing to the health of the population at large. Working to insure sanitary conditions and guard against epidemics. I don't hear a lot of complaining about those functions. Especially now that there's a New Flu scare. Let's get the government to make a vaccine!
There are some, of course, who consider vaccines to be a Liberal Conspiracy to infect The Children with that infectious Liberalism. Or perhaps to make them gay! Still, most people Trust (Oh My!) the Government's ability to deal with infectious diseases. So why not trust the government health system with health issues generally?
Not positive here, but I suspect it's that old paranoid Dog-In-The-Manger feeling that My money might wind up being spent on Your care.
I pay taxes for all three of the departments I listed above, not to save you from crooks, fires, illness. Those government programs (socialized police, fire, health departments!). I just don't want those plagues visited on you to spread to me!
When it comes to my own personal care, I trust that my special virtue - the same one that makes it certain I will win the lottery someday - will protect me from fire, flood, crooks, liars, cheats, thieves and, yes, cancer, stroke, heart failure, and all health problems taken together. Except for the problems I already have; for those I can take a pill. Courtesy of the new Medicare Prescription Drug (Company) Benefit.
So there's really no reason to change things is there? We're all happy the way things are now.
QED